LATEST HNCB NEWS:
*** AUGUST 18, 2022 ***
*** THE WEBSITE IS UNDERGOING AN EXTENSIVE REFRESH. IT SHOULD BE COMPLETELY UPDATED BY SEPTEMBER 1, 2022 ***
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August 18, 2022
We hope everyone is enjoying their Hot Summer!
The changes at Handmade NC Baskets just keep on changing. Eagle eyed observers may have noticed that our name has changed from "Handmade North Carolina Baskets, Inc" to "Handmade NC Baskets" (we are the same folks, we just made some slight changes for accounting purposes). The old wood shop that was outside the door from Joni's studio is now gone, and we have a covered, lighted weaving patio in its place. The new workshop is now complete and separate from the house. And there is now a paved walkway all the way around to the Studio.
We have fully reopened HNCB following the pandemic and have starting to 'gently' hold classes again. In the future, we plan to have a limited number of 4-day events, along with monthly 1-day classes. We hope this will better serve both visiting and local weavers. See the website for details about class dates, projects and signup forms.
And speaking of the website, it is undergoing a Major Upgrade. We are updating much of the information on the site, as well as taking the opportunity to streamline several of the pages for ease of use. Several new basket designs and projects will be added. We plan to have the website fully refreshed by the beginning of September.
Take Care Everyone!!
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September 17, 2021
Hi everyone! A number of things have been going on at Handmade NC Baskets.
There has been a minor change to our company name. Handmade North Carolina Baskets, Inc is now simply Handmade NC Baskets.
We have completely rejuvinated Joni’s studio and workspaces on the lower floor.
We have also begun the process of building a brand new workshop that will now be separate from the house. The new shop should be completed before the end of the year.
As for future classes: We are planning for some classes in 2022, but a definite schedule has not been set at this time. Watch this space. However, classes will be smaller than in the past. We are seeking to create a more relaxed schedule, both between and during workshops.
Concerning the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic: We have had many requests concerning our personal vaccination status and our Covid-19 safety policy. We welcome any such requests and as always, we want to provide a safe and secure environment for all workshop attendees. All adults in our family are vaccinated. We will be requiring vaccinations for anyone to attend our workshops when we resume. We will be following all pertinent CDC and North Carolina State Covid guidelines.
Thank for your patience. We look forward to reconnecting with our basket friends. Joni welcomes communications and contacts to discuss anything “Basket”.
Take care everyone!
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January 30, 2021
Happy New Year! FYI - Due to the ongoing Covid-19 Pandemic and our hosting our grandchildren for online school, HNCB continuing with our Leave of Absence. This will extend through 2021.
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July 23, 2020
If you have seen our gallery, you may have noticed some new baskets and series of baskets named for animals. These include:
The Bird Roost Series: 2" Hummingbird, 3" Nuthatch, 4" Wren, 5" Bluebird, 6" Downy Woodpecker & 7" Hermit Thrush
The Bee Skep & Butterfly Series: Bee Skep & Butterfly Baskets with Bonsai (1/2 size) & Mini versions of each
The Trap Series: 2" Tree Frog, 3" Chipmunk, 4" O'Possum, 5" Raccoon, 6" Monkey Trap, 7" Beaver, 8" Pronghorn & 9" Bison
The Call of the Wild Series: 9 3/4" Brown Bear, Timber Wolf, 5.5" Mountain Lion & 4" Wolverine
These basket series are our attempt to honor the diversity, beauty, magnificence and nobility of our North American wildlife. These animals were here long before we humans arrived and deserve a place in nature simply to exist. We hope you will join us, whether you make the baskets of not, in caring about the future of all our native wildlife. In learning more about North American mammals, birds, insects and amphibians, we hope that we can all do our part in preserving the future of these important and intersting aspects of the ecology that surrounds us all.
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July 21, 2020
Due to safety concerns, HNCB will no longer be turning any items greater than 8-9” in diameter. We will honor any current orders we have for larger items, but are removing all items greater than 9” from our website. In addition, please consult with Joni prior to ordering any items 8-9” in diameter.
Thank you for your understanding on this important issue.
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June 4, 2020
1. Due to the Covid-19 global pandemic, all HNCB Nantucket Workshops have been cancelled until the November 5-8, 2020 Workshop in Aiken, SC (@ SPCA). As you can imagine, our future schedule is still in flux, but we will update this website when the schedule comes into focus. Joni has communicated with everyone who was registered for the cancelled events, and is making arrangements for them to complete their projects, receive refunds, etc. If you were not contacted, please let us know.
2. Three new baskets have been addhttp://www.handmadencbaskets.com/downloads-videos-demonstrationsed to our project pages: Kingston's Lamp & the Striped Lamp (1 Day Projects), and the Double Wine Clutch (4 Day Projects).
3. A new video, "How I Make Round Rims & Bases" has been added to the "Downloads, Videos and Demonstrations" page.
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January 15, 2020
As a reminder, due to insurance purposes, only registered participating students should be present and on-site during our HNCB Workshops.
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December 31, 2019
As we approach 2020, we wish everyone Happy Holidays and a Safe and Enjoyable New Year!
Joni and I will be holding 7 events in 2020: Five (5) at Joni's Studio in Summerfield, NC, and two (2) in Aiken, SC at the SPCA Albrecht Center. Please see the Events page and use the appropriate signup sheet to register your projects. Or give Joni a call!
We look forward to seeing old friends and new faces in the coming year. Be safe until we see you again!
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September 24, 2019
A note about wood character: We strive to create our baskets with the most beautiful wood we can find and to enhance the Natural Beauty of the wood, "Natural", being the key word here. Grain, coloration, spalting, ambrosia, insect galleries & bore holes, knots, burl and even some small checks, are natural conditions in wood. Trees grow under a bewildering range of conditions of humidity, minerals, elevation, rainfall and sunlight levels, all of which combine to give the wood from individual trees a wonderful range of characteristics and beauty. The perfectly clean piece of wood is the anomaly, and for that we encourage you to go to the mass production shops. We at Handmade North Carolina Baskets, on the other hand, value the uniqueness of each piece of wood and strive to enhance & emphasize the beauty in each piece we make. In light of this, each piece is sold "As Is", with all character and even imperfections lovingly enhanced so that the basket you make with us will be truly unique to you and you alone. The character is left-in on purpose, so we encourage you to expect these characteristics in any kit from HNCB. Please note that cracks may appear in wood parts long after a basket is made due to annual fluctuations in temperature and humidity. This natural aging cannot be predicted and we cannot replace basket parts in these situations. If you want a basket free of "character", this must be explicitly specified at the time you order the piece from us. However, please be aware, that even though a board looks "clean" in the beginning, milling and time may bring these beautiful characteristics to the fore. We encourage everyone to expand your mind to embrace the amazing range of beauty that exists outside the world of mass-produced, perfectly clear wood products.....Dave
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July 22, 2019
The 2020 HNCB Workshop Schedule has been posted on the website. There will be two events in Aiken, SC at the SPCA and five events at our Studio in Summerfield, NC.
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May 25, 2019
Website Changes:
We have made significant changes to our website.
The "View Basket Projects" page has been significantly modified to feature our personal designs.
Many new projects have been added and there have been some price adjustments.
Please browse and take a look and let us know what you think!
NEW SERIES:
We now have three series of baskets that highlight the unique wildlife of the Americas. The first is the "Trap Series" (featuring the Monkey, Raccoon, O'Possum & Chipmunk Traps), second the "Lifecycle Series" (featuring the Bee Skep and Butterfly) and the Third Just Announced, the "Call of the Wild Series" (featuring the Timber Wolf, the Kodiak Bear and the Red Fox baskets).
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April 13, 2019
As a reminder to all of our valued customers: Below you will find some of our Basic Operating Procedures at Handmade NC Baskets:
1. We post official news about HNCB on Facebook and this Website.
2. We communicate officially via eMail and this Website. Sometimes, Joni will communicate via text message. We DO NOT USE, nor respond on, Facebook Messenger.
3. We ship all orders via US Postal Service 3-Day Priority Mail. The only exceptions are for very large orders that the USPS will not accept. These ship via UPS.
4. Shipping charges are included on invoices.
5. We require payment before we ship orders.
6. Customers will receive an emailed invoice from HNCB through Quickbooks Online. Payments may be made online following the link in the emailed invoice or by check. Please let us know if you are mailing a check (see #5).
7. We no longer retain nor store credit card numbers. All credit card payments are processed through Quickbooks Online.
8. We require a signed HNCB Liability Waiver from all attendees of HNCB Workshops (See Oct 27, 2018 News below).
Thanks, Joni & David....
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The HNCB Mold Sale 2019 has Ended
March 25, 2019
The HNCB Used Mold Sale 2019 is currently underway. Follow this link to Awesome Deals! HNCB 2019 Used Mold Sale
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OCTOBER 7, 2018
We have been advised to collect signed HNCB Liability Waivers from all attendees of HNCB Workshops. The form is available by following the link: "HNCB Liability Waiver". We ask that each attendee sign and submit the form annually.
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SEPTEMBER 27, 2018
As of September 27, 2018, HNCB has begun using a different invoicing system. Going forward, invoices will be emailed to you at time of invoicing via QUICKBOOKS ONLINE. You may go to the link in the email and pay directly with your credit card. Checks are still OK, but please let us know. Concurrently, HNCB will no longer keep your credit card information on file in our offices. You may visit the Quickbooks Online website at https://quickbooks.intuit.com/online/ Thanks! Dave
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AUGUST 29, 2018
THE 2019 HNCB Schedule has been added to the HNCB website. We would love to see you all at an event next year! (As Joni and I have been hinting at for quite some time......We have scaled back our 2019 schedule to limit the amount of travel we do, while trying to focus more on events here in NC.)
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July 7, 2018
Registration Fees for our 2019 HNCB Nantucket Workshops will increase from $200/4 days, to $230/4 days. The registration fee covers 4 breakfasts, 4 lunches, 2 dinners, snacks/beverages throughout the event, and partial teaching fees.
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July 2, 2018 (updated October 7, 2018)
Going forward, we are asking customers to pre-pay for shipped orders. You will receive an emailed invoice from HNCB via The Square (updated Oct. 1, 2018 to Quickbooks Online). You can immediately pay securely online. Concurrently, HNCB will no longer keep your credit card information on file in our offices. You may visit the Quickbooks Online website at https://quickbooks.intuit.com/online/
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2017
New - Check out our NEW Basket Sales Page
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July 6, 2016
“New Law Concerning the Sale of African Elephant Ivory Goes Into Effect”
As of July 6, 2016, Handmade North Carolina Baskets no longer sells Ivory from the African Elephant, Loxodonta africana.
After July 6, 2016, HNCB will only sell ivory originating from extinct Mammoths, Mammuthus spp.
We will continue to sell items made from shed antler, ebony, seashells, etc.
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